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kota kinabalu (kk), formerly known as jesselton, is the capital of sabah in east malaysia. kk has a few historical buildings, great shopping and the best leisure and nightlife facilities that we did not want to miss. we wanted to eat, drink, explore and stretch every ringgit in this historical coastal city. and what better way to do this than through the jetsaver light challenge!!
seize the day!
we started our trip early and arrived in kk at 9.40 am.
as we were approaching our destination, we caught a beautiful aerial view of kk.
as we were approaching our destination, we caught a beautiful aerial view of kk.
it's called kkia by the way
we arrived at the modern and impressive kota kinabalu international airport. with our jetsaver light ticket, we didn't even have to wait for our baggage at the conveyor belt and the custom clearance was a breeze. wheeeeeeeee!!
we arrived at the modern and impressive kota kinabalu international airport. with our jetsaver light ticket, we didn't even have to wait for our baggage at the conveyor belt and the custom clearance was a breeze. wheeeeeeeee!!
we reached our hotel from the airport in just 20 minutes. courtesy of the sabah tourism board, a nice surprise awaited us at the imperial international hotel located within the heart of the shopping district facing the sea.
"WOWED" by the hotel!
we were allocated the swanky superior room that has a contemporary decor, funky furniture and a see through bathroom overlooking the beautiful waterfront and islands beyond. the shower gushes down like a waterfall that we could only describe as the ultimate shower experience. Pure indulgence!!
we're hungry! lunch...grrrrllll...
after checking in, we walked to kedai kopi fatt kee to grab a quick bite. we heard the woks are always busy at this popular kopi-tiam next to ang's hotel. true enough, the coffee shop was packed with lunch time crowd when we got there and we found out why after sinking our teeth into the delicious food. we were reminded of our mothers' homecooked food! 3 dishes, a plate of rice and a bowl of seaweed soup for a mere RM5!
saya gaya!
with our stomachs filled, we strolled to gaya street to soak up the main street atmosphere of kk, which has the largest number of legal offices, banks and financial institutions found in sabah. cars plying along gaya street moved like a slow motorcade parade and we were immediately reminded that the pace of life over here is much slower compared to singapore.
the historical jesselton hotel in gaya street. look, their hotel concierge wear safari shorts as if time stood still.
did you say australia is in kk?
yes mate it’s called australia place, a quiet street lined with printing shops and backpacker hostels. this was the very site where australian soldiers camped towards the end of second world war, hence its name.
borneo museum kopitiam
"serves the best coffee in town"
"serves the best coffee in town"
we came to this popular local cafe with a distinct old world charm that has a quirky collection of artefacts from the past, such as the old charcoal iron, transistor radio and chinese door frames. adeline the owner knew from our accent that we are singaporeans and sat down with us for a chat and photographs. the signature "white coffee" she made was brewed from 5 types of unroasted coffee beans and topped with a layer of frothy milk. delicious, to say the least!
no nail, no problem, atkinson clock tower
this is the famous historical landmark that we did not miss for its architectural wonder. it was built in 1903, entirely in timber without any nails by mary edith atkinson of england in memory of her son, francis george atkinson. mr atkinson was the first district officer of jesselton who died of malaria at the young age of 28.
leaving the tower, we strolled up the long and winding road to the top of the world...
it's a bird, it's a plane, it's 2 ufos and ufas (unidentified flying aliens)...
we wandered up to the ufo-like signal hill observatory on top of the hill, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It offered us a bird’s eye view of the the town centre. it is probably lovers' favourite haunt; when we got there, we spotted 3 pairs of couples. we can only imagine how romantic it will be watching sunsets here in the evenings.
to the top of kk...
and down the forest trail via a secret garden...
2 ikans in manukan
the tunku abdul rahman park (t.a.r park) is a marine park comprised of a cluster of islands and we chose to explore pulau manukan since it’s a short 20 minutes' speedboat ride away from jesselton point ferry terminal. We want to make the island our getaway destination to explore the pristine white sandy beach, check out the beach resort, to soak in the crystal clear water and to hike up the trail.
these were the amazing plants and wildlife we encountered during our hike in pulau manukan.
but meet me at the market on land...
next to corals and queen conch....
and where little babies are so adorable...
but the food, oh the food.......
and the aroma....
and the sunset @ the night market...
...gave us the reason to come together in the pasar malam!!!
we heard that kk's night market is the best market in borneo and we had to check it out. we wanted to see what makes this market so colourful and full of contrasts and wonderful aromas. nestled between each stall are kingsized tiger prawns, bbq chicken wings and lobsters that are fresher, tastier and cheaper than anything we can find in singapore.
this pasar malam is a nostalgic experience for singaporeans like us who have forgotten what old night markets used to look like! A MUST SEE, our dear countrymen!
this pasar malam is a nostalgic experience for singaporeans like us who have forgotten what old night markets used to look like! A MUST SEE, our dear countrymen!
OMG this tiger prawn is longer than my face!
jetstar and sabah tourism board, thanks for making this such a great experience to remember!!! KK has a beautiful soul, wonderful islands and smiling people.
we'll be back, naturally...
